Album: Legends of Benin

Song Title

Time

Disc 1

Dadje Von O Von Non

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Feeling You Got

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Honton Soukpo Gnon

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E Nan Mian Nuku

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Tin Lin Non

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Okpo Videa Bassoruo

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Ya Mi Ton Gbo

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Album: Legends of Benin

Song Title

Time

Disc 1

Dadje Von O Von Non

More Info...

Feeling You Got

More Info...

Honton Soukpo Gnon

More Info...

E Nan Mian Nuku

More Info...

Tin Lin Non

More Info...

Okpo Videa Bassoruo

More Info...

Ya Mi Ton Gbo

More Info...

Performer Notes

It's funk, but refracted through a slightly bizarre prism. This music from Benin, recorded in the '70s, is definitely funky, and you can hear the American influence -- El Rego is a James Brown wannabe at times, although his band is looser -- but it's also strongly African in thought and execution. This excellent compilation focuses on four productive artists from the period, each of whom has his own take on the Benin sound, like different facets of a whole. The music of Antoine Dougb‚ flows, powered by guitar and percussion (just like all the bands here) and with some explosive brass and dynamic guitar work on "Honton Soukpo Gnon." Gnossas Pedro can take a poppier approach -- "Dadje Von O Von Non" wouldn't have sounded out of place in the Hot 100 in the 1960s -- but all of them can get rootsy under the Western influence. Imagine the Chambers Brothers crossed with the Super Rail Band and a touch of Fela Kuti and you have a rough approximation of the groups here, with Honore Avolonto very African on the percolating "Tin Lin Non." But what unites all the music here is a strong, thick groove, soulful and deep, with El Rego's "Djobime" particularly explosive. The men themselves are true characters, with professions ranging from brothel owner to voodoo priest. All in all, it's a storming collection and a very in-depth look at a time and place that's been ignored for far too long. ~ Chris Nickson

Professional Reviews

Pitchfork (Website) - "Each singer could support a compilation on his own, so getting to hear all four duke it out in the same space is a total blast -- they had decidedly different approaches to floor-burning Afrofunk, but there's not a track here that won't make you want to move."